Window installation



P 29, 1942- c. T. CRESSWELL 2,296,985

WINDOW INSTALLATION Filed Dec. 26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 CHARLEST- CRES SWELL 2 I INVENTR ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 29, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Charles Canada Application December 26, 1940, Serial-No. 371,707

In Canada July 23, 1940 2jClaims. (ci. 20 52 This invention relates to window installations in which the frame and sash elements are made of wood but are clad with metal to render them fire resistant. The sash frames employed in such installations are singleglaze i and have the wooden rails thereof completely covered by the metal provided for fireproofing purposes. "It is also the usual practice "to apply the protective metal covering to the wooden window frame so that it covers the indoor as well as the outdoor portions of said frame. 7

When a wooden window assembly is installed in a wall of a building it frequently happens that the jambs of the window frame are distorted or bowed inwardly to such an extent as to interfere with the free sliding'movement of the sashes. This is usually remedied by removing" the sashes from the frame and planing down or otherwise trimming the side rails of the sashes so that they will slide freely When'replaced in the frame. Occasions also arise where it is necessary to remove the sashes and to plane down or oth'erwise trim the top and bottom rails so that they will make proper contact with the head and sill members f the window frame. I

In the case of the usual fire resistant window installation in which all rails of the wooden sashes are completely encased by the protective metal covering it is not feasible to remove this covering for the purpose of trimming down the wooden rails of the sashes when the sashes have become tight or jammed in the frame due to distortion of the frame by the pressure of the surrounding masonry. With this in mind the metal clad sashes employed in the usual fire resistant window installation are made small enough so that they will still run freely even after the frame has been distorted to a substantial extent by the pressure of the surrounding masonry. In those cases in which interference with the free running of the metal clad sashes is experienced due to excessive distortion of the frame, this condition is simply allowed to continue or is remedied by the substitution of smaller sashes since no adjustment in size can feasibly be made in connection with the sashes originally installed.

The practice of initially making the metal clad sashes sufiiciently loose in the frame to allow for the maximum expected distortion of the latter is objectionable since the looseness of the sash is apt to give rise to objectional rattling and other objections.

Another disadvantage of the conventional fire resistant windowinstallations of "the type men- 55 tione'dhereiniis 'that, owing to the manner in which the metal sheathing is applied'to the sashes, they do not lend themselves to the use of double glazed sashes which are frequently required in windows installed in air conditioned buildings and other air conditioned enclosures.

A further objection to the conventional fire resistant window installation is that the application of the metal sheathing so that it extends from the outdoor to the indoor side of the frame and sash elements is undesirable in view of the fact that the sheathing serves as a conductor by which cold is conducted from the outdoor t0 the indoor side of the window.

The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a generally improved fire resistant window assembly in which provision ismade for overcoming all of the above mentioned objections. To this end a feature of the invention consists in applying the metal sheathing to the sashes so that suitable portions of the sash rails are left bare and may be planed down or otherwise trimmed to restore thefree running condition of the sashes when this condition is interfered with by buckling or distortion of the window' frame by the pressure of the surrounding masonry. The method of applying the metal sheathing is also such that bare portions of the bottom rail of the lower sash and the top rail of the upper sash may be trimmed off as required to ensure proper seating of these rails against the frame elements which they engage in their window closing positions.

Another feature of the invention consists in applying the metal sheathing to the component elements of the window frame so that such sheathing will not serve to conduct any appreciable amount of cold from the outdoor to the indoor side of the window.

The foregoinghas Well as other features and advantages of the invention, will be more readily understood from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a window installation designed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the sashes and one of the jambs of the window frame, the plane of the section being indicated by the section line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view showing the application of the invention to a window frame in which mullions are provided.

In these drawings the frameandi sa'shelements of my improved window installation are respectively indicated at 5 and 6. In the present instance I have shown double glazed sashes each comprising a main frame I which carries the outer glazing 8 and a supplementary frame 9 which carries the inner glazing II]. The supplementary frame 9 of each sash is fitted within a recess I I provided at the inner side of the main frame I so that it lies substantially within the thickness of said main frame. The supplementary sash frames 9 may be of the completely removable type disclosed in Canadian Patent 228,345, dated Sept. 5, 1922, and may be tem-'- porarily secured in place by the fastening means,

described in said patent or, alternately, they may be hinged to the main frame and temporarily fastened in closed position as described in my' co.-

pending application Serial No. 324,605.,rfiled. The outer glazing 8 of each sash 6 is fitted in a recess I2 in the outer side of March 14, 1940.

A protective metal strip I! is also applied to,

the upper sash 6 to cover the outdoor side and the bottom surface of the bottom rail 6a. A portion I'Ia of the strip 'I'I is bent inwardly so that it covers that portion of the upper surface of rail Qa which underlies 'the lower edgeof the outer;

glazing 8 and the adjacent glazing retaining strip I4. j Thisportion I'I a of the; protectivestr'ip I'I terminates in a downwardly directed portion I'Ib which is fitted in a groove 6 provided at the sash rail 6a. The'protective strip I1 is also provided with a portion I'Ic which extends upwardly a short distance along the indoor side of the rail 6a and terminates in a bent portion I'Id which is in a groove 6" provided in said rail.

A protective metal strip I8 is also applied to, the outdoor-side of the top rail 6b of the upper sash. The upper edge of the strip I8 is bent to provide an anchoring portion I9 which is hooked into a recess!!! provided in the outdoor side of rail Iibadjacent the top surface-of said rail. 7 The lowerportion f the protective strip I8 is bent inwardlyas indicated at 2I so that it covers that portion of the botto gnsurface of rail 6b which lies at the outdoop side of the glazing Band is anchored in place bymeans of a rib-like exten sionfzz which-is; seated in a groove provided in railBb. '39-:

As shown in Fig. 2, protective strips 25,; corresponding substantially to the protective strip I8, are applied to cover the outdoor sides of the side rails 60 of the upper sash. Portions 24a of the protective strips 24 applied to the side rails 60 of theupper sash Gare bent inwardly to cover portions of the sides of the rails 6c which are at right angles totheoutdoor si'de coveredby, the main portion ofthe strip ,24; 'These portions 24a are anchored in place by their rib extensions 24b which are fitted in grooves provided in the rails 60. A protectivermetal strip 26 is applied to the lowerisashfi to;cover the outdoor side of the bottom rail 6d. This strip is provided with a por-- tion 26a and an anchoring rib 262) which correspond, respectively, to the portion I Ia and' anchoring ribIIbsofgthe: protective strip I! applied to the bottoin'rail'of thefupper 'sash- The strip:

. the previously mentionedsh 26 is also provided with a portion 260 which is bent to extend inwardly across a portion of the lower surface of rail 6d, thence upwardly along the outer wall of the downwardly opening groove 21 and thence inwardly across the top wall of said groove. The groove 21 has a suitable sealing strip 28 fitted therein for sealing engagement with the sill of the window frame.

The side rails 6d of the lower sash have protectivev 'metal' strips 38 applied to the outdoor sides thereof as shown in Fig.2. These strips 30 are provided with portions 30a and anchoring ribs 3011 which correspond, respectively, to the :1 portions. 24a and anchoring ribs 24b of the protective strips applied to the side rails of the upper sash. Each strip 30 is also provided with a portion 300 which is bent inwardly to cover the "outen side and bottom wall of a sealing strip receiving groove 3| provided in the jamb opposing surface of the rail 601.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that all outdoor surfacesot the rails and; outer glazing retaining strips; of: the upper and-lower sashes, which would otherwise be exposed to view in the window closing position of the sashes, are covered and effectively protected'by :the metal sheathing which is applied for fireproofing purposes. :-It. will also be noted that this metal sheathing is applied so that no substantial amount of cold will thereby be conducted from the outdoor to the indoor sides of the sashes. Another advantage of this method of applying the metal sheathing is that it does not interfere with themounting and fastening of the supplementary sash frames 9 nor with the application of the Weatherstripping which is arranged in the bottom groove 21 and in the side groove 3| of the lower sash. a

All portions of the window frame 5 which lie at the outdoor sideof thelower sash 6 are also rendered fire resistant by the application ofsuitable metal coverings or sheathings. In this connection it will be noted that the parting strips 33 are covered at the three exposed sides by a bent metal sheathing strip 34, the opposite edges of which are bent to provide anchoring portions 35 which are hooked into suitable.recessesi-provided intheparting strip. The jambs 3! of .the window frame are also covered; at; theoutdoor sides of the part n strips, .with metalsheathing; strips 38 which are anchored in vplace in substantially thesaine manner as descr ib d in connection with ing'. strips. ,The

Y strips38fare;applied so that; hey cover the-outdoorjedges of the jambs, the: walls of the jamb recesses .39 in which the sash weights ii! are housed andthe outer and bottom walls of the lamb recesses'AI in which the parting strips are fitted; Thefinishing strips 43 and the molding "bent terminal edges 52 fitted in grooves provided in the sill. Here again it will be noted that-the application of the metal sheathing to theicomponent partsofthe metal windowiframeisfsuch that-none 'of.' -the:=sheathing constitutes a con- Iductor of icold extending'uninterruptedly from the outdoor to the indoor side of the window frame. It is true that a portion of the metal sheathing 41 applied to the sill member. 5I 'eX- tends (inwardly beyond the indoor side: of. the

lower sash but this portion of the sheathing is covered by the indoor sill plate 53.

It is important to note that, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, the jamb opposing surfaces of the side rails of both sashes are stepped so that the bare portions of said surfaces are offset outwardly with respect to the metal clad portions of said surfaces. Consequently, it will be seen'that it is an easy matter to plane or trim down the projecting bare portions of the jamb opposing surfaces of the sashes to assure or maintain the v desired free-running condition of the sashes in the window frame.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a window frame provided with a mullio-n 54 but it will be noted that the method of applying the metal sheathing to the mullion is substantially the same as the method followed in applying the sheathing to the window frame jambs as shown in Fig. 2.

It will be understood that the present invention is not limited in its application to windows of the sliding sash type but may also be embodied in casement type windows in which the sashes are hingedly or swingably mounted, or in any other type of windows to which it may be adapted. It will also be understood that the top rail of the upper sash shown in the present drawings may be provided with a sealing strip receiving groove for the reception of a sealing strip adapted to engage the top portion of the window frame.

In addition to the advantages previously mention, the herein described method of constructing the window sashes is such that the provision of suitable sealing receiving grooves in thawindow frame engaging surfaces of the sashrails may be accomplished without encountering the difliculties experienced in providing for proper sealing of the window when the sash rails are completely encased in metal sheathing.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A window sash having its outdoor side completely covered by metal sheathing, edge portions of which are bent around the side rails of the sash and hooked into recesses provided in the jamb opposing surfaces of said rails, said recesses being located closer to the outdoor than to the indoor side of the sash, those portions of the side rails which lie at the indoor side of said recesses being of such width as to present bare jamb opposing surfaces which project beyond the sheathing covered jamb opposing surfaces which lie at the outdoor side of said recesses.

2. A window sash provided with side rails having stepped jamb opposing surfaces, each surface being so stepped that a portion thereof immediately adjacent the outdoor side of the sash is offset inwardly with respect to the remaining portion thereof and metal sheathing covering the outdoor sides of the sash rails and the inwardly ofiset portions of said jamb opposing surfaces.

CHARLES T. CRESSWELL. 

